Title Transfers

A title is your claim to vehicle ownership. Unlike your license or registration certificate, you do not need to carry it with you whenever you jump behind the wheel of your car. Instead, you should keep it filed in a safe place.

You only need the title during the initial registering process and when you decide to sell or trade in your vehicle. If you carry a loan on your vehicle, your lender will hold your title until it is paid in full.

If you move to North Dakota with a vehicle from another state, you must title and register it in North Dakota when you establish residency or gain employment here.

For what it's worth, North Dakota does not require you to have a driver's license to hold a vehicle title.

Titling a New Vehicle

After purchasing a new vehicle, you will need to submit to the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) the following items:

• A completed Application for Certificate of Title and Registration of a Vehicle.

• A Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO), which you must obtain from the dealer.

• A Bill of Sale.

• A $5 title fee.

Titling a Used Vehicle

If you purchase a used vehicle, you will need to submit to NDDOT:

• A completed Application for Certificate of Title & Registration of a Vehicle.

• The original certificate of title given to you by the seller (make sure the seller has signed the title).

• An odometer reading.

• A Bill of Sale.

• A $5 title fee.

Before submitting this information, double-check to make sure the vehicle identification number (VIN) on the car matches the VIN on the title, and that there are no liens on the vehicle.

Expect the titling process to take about three weeks.

To eliminate the hassle of tracking down forms the Application for Certificate of Title and Registration of a Vehicle―NDDOT's version of duct tape―handles your registration and titling simultaneously. So make sure all of your information, for both tasks, is in order before submitting.

Titling a Vehicle Given as a Gift

First, the giver will need to complete a Title-Back Seller form. The giver will need to sign off as the seller and print the recipient's name and address in the buyer's fields as the new title will display it. The receiver must also sign an odometer reading if the vehicle is model year 1998 or newer. If the vehicle is less than nine model years old, the giver must also provide a signed Damage Disclosure Statement.

And second, the recipient must complete a Title Back-Purchaser application in full, including signatures, date of transfer, and the correct tax exemption as it applies to the relationship between the giver and the recipient. If the two parties are not related, the state will levy a mandatory 5% sales tax based on the vehicle's fair market value.

If you have more questions about how to transfer a car as a gift, e-mail North Dakota's Motor Vehicle Division at mv@nd.gov. You'll usually receive a response within two or three hours.

Transferring a Title Following Death of Owner

If the deceased was the sole owner of the vehicle, NDDOT will need a copy of the Letters of Testamentary from the courts designating someone as the personal representative of the estate. This person can then sign the vehicle's title as the legal "seller." To finalize the transfer of the title, NDDOT will need (in addition to a copy of the Letters of Testamentary) the completed title and a completed Application for Certificate of Title and Registration of a Motor Vehicle.

If the court does not appoint a personal representative and the deceased owner's estate is valued at less than $50,000, NDDOT will need a family member to complete an Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of the Decedent form. He or she can then sign as the "seller" on the title.

Once this is completed, the recipient must mail in the signed title along with a notarized Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of the Decedent form and a completed Application for Certificate of Title and Registration of a Motor Vehicle.

Changing a Name on a Title

In the event of a divorce or marriage, NDDOT makes it very easy to change your name on a title. There are no special forms to complete or notarized signatures to obtain. Instead, all you must do is visit any Motor Vehicle office with the original title and a $5 correction fee. If the vehicle is a 1998 or newer, you will also need to record the odometer reading.

Deleting or Adding a Name to a Title

You do not need to submit any special forms or applications. Instead, to add a name to the title, the original holder must sign on the title under the space designated "seller," and the new person must sign under the space designated as "buyer." They then must both bring the title to any Motor Vehicle office along with a $10 fee and (if the vehicle is a 1998 or newer) an odometer reading.

The same procedure applies to deleting a name, only that the person retaining the title signs under the space designated as "buyer," while the person opting out signs under the space designated "seller."

Selling a Vehicle

When you sell your vehicle, you should sign the back of the title over to the new owner. Include the buyer's name, and the selling price of the vehicle as well. You must deliver the title to the new owner within 15 days so he or she can transfer the vehicle into his or her name. The new owner then has 30 days to apply for a new title and registration in his or her own name.